The San Francisco 49ers experienced some unfortunate injuries in the secondary last season, as cornerbacks Emmanuel Moseley and Jason Verrett were lost for the season, while safety-turned-nickelback Jimmie Ward missed extensive time with multiple injuries as well.
As a result, younger defensive backs, namely Deommodore Lenoir, were tasked with stepping into starting roles. The 2021 fifth-round pick remained the starter opposite Charvarius Ward for the majority of the season in 2022.
Lenoir had a bounce-back season, learning from a rookie season that saw him go from a starter to inactive within the first four weeks of the 2021 season, playing well alongside cornerback Charvarius Ward, and developing into a starting-caliber corner for the 49ers, which will be his role this upcoming season.
What clicked for the cornerback last offseason to spark the fire that kept Lenoir fresh for the entire season as a starter?
Speaking on "49ers Talk" with NBC Sports' Matt Maiocco, the third-year defensive back detailed how he wasn't where he wanted to be last offseason, leading him to push himself to be a better player, whether that was on defense or special teams.
"I remember we had OTAs, and then I kind of felt like I wasn't where I wanted to be. So after that OTAs, [during] this time last year, I had texted Coach Harp, and [I] was playing gunner at the time, so I just told him I was going to be All-Pro in something, and if I get my opportunity on defense, then I'm going to make the best out of it," Lenoir said. "But, right now, I'm a special teams player, so I'm going to be All-Pro at that. That's like my whole mindset. And then, I ended up becoming a starter, and then I never looked back for real. It was just all about getting better."
As for what changed, Lenoir pointed out the talent and effort levels around him, which helped him understand the necessary work to become a starter on this 49ers team.
"When I switched my mindset, I just really looked around and seeing I was surrounded by a lot of great players, and I just really just thought about, like, the only way I could become like them is I got to switch my mindset. Because obviously, you know, when Fred lines up, that he's going to give 110% every play, So I will be doing him a disfavor if I come out there and give him 85%."
Of course, a challenging portion of playing cornerback is confidence level, given that they can get picked on during a game, hence the importance of a short memory at the position.
A part of Lenoir's mindset change came with a better understanding of that element, realizing that it's as important to make the next play and knowing your team is counting on you.
"That's just the way the rules are set up," Lenoir said. "Because you got ten other guys. Well, you really got a whole team counting on you, coaches included. They all counting on you. When you give up that play, it's always you got to make the next one. You got people counting on you. We trying to win games, we trying to go to the Super Bowl, and we trying to do big things. So it's just like you got to switch that mindset and get out your feelings. And just because you gave up the play, it's all right. It's next one. It's going to be 99 plays in there and you got eleven people counting on you."
But, Lenoir has also experienced some meaningful advice from two different sources: former 49ers cornerback Richard Sherman, who had a connection with Lenoir's high school coach, and current defensive coordinator Steve Wilks, who has seemingly already made an impact on the team's young defensive backs.
Sherman detailed the fundamentals of the position, helping develop Lenoir's football IQ, which complemented the cornerback's athleticism.
Well, before I even met my high school coach, Richard Sherman was already one of my favorite corners just because he talked trash and then he backed it up. And then, he told me his relationship with Sherm, it was like a no-brainer. I had to meet him and stuff and just pick his brain and just see, because all my whole life, I was just always athletic playing the position. I never had technique or tools or even know certain situations. So just talking to him and just talking football, it just made my IQ even more stronger. He's a different style."
Wilks has already begun sharing his football knowledge, with a technique change already being implemented by the former Oregon cornerback.
"It's amazing because he got so much information that you would just be like, you still remember that? How do you know? Just being able to pick his brain and just see how he coached a position and everything start to make sense," Lenoir said. "When he's saying play the breastplate, I felt like that was like one of the biggest tools as far as being with level three down the field."
"[Playing the breastplate is just] like just playing the chest. Like shoulder open up back shoulder. If the shoulder is still towards you, then obviously you keep running deep ball and if he stops and the shoulder goes away from you, it's either curl or come back. So you're able to basically eliminate some of the routes. Yeah, just being able to eliminate routes."
Now, the defensive back is looking to enhance his game with the resources available to him, setting up for his first full season as the No. 2 cornerback behind Charvarius Ward.
You can listen to Lenoir's entire interview with Matt Maiocco here.